Atlantic Gas and Electric price rise

ArmchairTycoon

loaner wrote: »

They read the meter twice a year, and produce bills twice a year.

Having been on the telephone to Atlantic today they have confirmed that they do only take a reading one a year and send out my statement quarterly, but according to the customer services man that I spoke to they have just recently purchased the rights to read the meter in my area and will be checking in person my meter monthly.

I am not really sure what they mean by buying the rights to read meters but this suggests that how often they issue bills and take meter readings is dependent on where you are.

esbo

gillh wrote: »

This may interest Atlantic customers. I recently received my electricity bill for the March to May period and discovered the price had risen by 15.5% from April 1st. As I wasn't aware of this, I hadn't increased my monthly direct debits and subsequently was £195 in debt to them.

Being really unhappy about this (plus the patronising, self-congratulatory tone of the price-rise letter) I complained. Apparently they are allowed to put prices up without telling customers directly and it had been publicised on the BBC website etc etc.

Interestingly, they looked at my account and discovered I had been billed in February on an estimate (why I don't know as I have a new-build with exterior meters) which had been underestimated. I had been billed for the underestimated electicity at the new rate and they had overcharged me by £45!!

Might be worth other customers checking to see if this has happened to them.

Thats because the the country is run by criminals and thes supposed 'watchdogs'
are bunch of criminals too. Foxes looking after the hen house.
So what can you do?
Vote out the current bunch of criminals and elect a new lot of crooks.:mad:

Ken68

Southern Electric (for Ebico) got my bill wrong by a fiver, and once they confirmed I had indeed phoned up on April 1st with the readings, issued a credit to my account.Didn't re-bill as before, so a new procedure. Represented just under 2% of the dual fuel bill.

ArmchairTycoon

loaner wrote: »

http://www.atlanticeg.co.uk/FAQs/FAQ.aspx?faqid=34;Common

Maybe you don't pay by monthly direct debit (cheapest option), DD customers over a year old are supposed to be getting 6 monthly bills based on reading, (no more estimates), from now on, in order to save the planet/costs.

Monthly reading sounds unlikely/unnecessary.

If true, sounds like they or a subsiduary (usually a third party) have won the meter reading contract for your area. (reading meters belonging to other suppliers as well)

I do pay monthly DD, I have done so since I joined them over 2 years ago.

mprice1988

If you feel unhappy about the way your bill has been pro rata, then why not call up to discuss it?

If you an justify it then every advisor will neagiate with you to come to a mutally satifactory outcome

Gavioli_UK

mprice1988 wrote: »

If you feel unhappy about the way your bill has been pro rata, then why not call up to discuss it?

If you an justify it then every advisor will neagiate with you to come to a mutally satifactory outcome

I had the same experience, and the callcentre was adamant that they could not change the estimate for the split between the old and new prices on 1st April. They said this was the common practice in the industry.

I complained to Energywatch, and was contacted by a special team at Atlantic who accepted my split and appologised for the wrong information given by the call centre. I now have a special number to ring if I have any problems in future that by-passes the call centre.

As a result I am a satisfied Atlantic customer.